tempobet yeni adresi
like this cd review

09/10/2014 : ARETHA FRANKLIN - Sings the diva classics

ARETHA FRANKLIN

Sings the diva classics

MusicCD
PopSoul

[60/100]   

SONY MUSIC
09/10/2014, Paul PLEDGER

The Queen Of Soul returns with her first new studio collection since her critically-hammered 2011 album Aretha: A Woman Falling Out Of Love and it's as you'd expect - a safe easy-listening assemblage, featuring arguably the world's greatest female soul diva in living memory, hollering her way though a mix of classic and contemporary numbers.

She's 72 years of age, a fact made all the more incredible when you hear her tear apart Adele's Rolling In The Deep with all of the urgency and energy of someone running for the last train. Despite it becoming a pumping funk-disco number, mainly due to the addition of Ain't No Mountain High Enough glued somewhat clumsily onto the second half of the track, Franklin's voice is reason enough to admire the effort put in.

Sadly though, Aretha's legacy won't be remembered for Diva Classics. It's not an awful album by any means - the lady is in fine voice and she still overshadows just about anybody trilling their rubbish pop-songs on TV these days (yes X Factor, I'm talking to you). What cripples this album is two-fold. Firstly, the arrangements seem to have been completed and pieced together in a cheap studio. Secondly, many songs are speeded up, rushed even, as though that last train really is due to depart soon. For example, contrast Gladys Knight's sterling regal take on Midnight Train To Georgia and then check out the new 2014 version from Franklin. It's been R'n'B-ed but not in a good way. I Will Survive suffers the same fate AND gets a bootylicious segue with Destiny's Child's I'm A Survivor as a 'bonus'. What was probably seen as a novel idea around the boardroom has ended up sounding rather throwaway. Talking of disposable - if you don't cringe at the irksome reggaetastic summer-pop schlop of No One then fair-play, you deserve a medal. I guess at least she hasn't enrolled lame-assed rappers or diva wannabes as desperate guests to fill in the gaps. She just doesn't need them.

The odd disaster aside, Diva Classics does have its moments. As well as the rousing Adele cover, Franklin's sizey lungs also do justice to DePaul and Cahn's Teach Me Tonight, the housey remake of I'm Every Woman (segued with Respect, natch) and the album's best song, the Etta James standing At Last. As for Nothing Compares 2 U being transformed into a be-bop jazz number and You Keep Me Hangin' On being converted into a '90s club-anfum, I'll leave it to your imagination. One wonders if she'll ever make another album of specially-written numbers - maybe she should sign with XL Recordings and make a decent and proper contemporary long-player with Richard Russell - just a thought.

Aretha Franklin will always earn her respect solely by opening her mouth and belting out classic songs, provided the chosen compositions do her justice in the first place. One for the fans.

This review also appeared on Flipside Reviews

Paul PLEDGER
09/10/2014


Music reviews

04
08
CODE INDIGO
Endgame - The Best Moves
22
07
RED LORRY YELLOW LORRY
Strange Kind Of Paradise
28
06
S.Y.P.H.
Album 4
27
06
A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS
Some Dreams
26
06
BRIDES
Sandcastle
24
06
THE LIGHT DREAMS
Málverk

NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

NEWS

08
08
35 years of Head/Down with MOEV
01
08
This month, 42 years ago, Nitzer Ebb recorded their first demo Basic Pain Procedure!
30
07
On this day, 46 years ago, British punk rocker Johnny Rotten appeared on BBC TV's 'Juke Box Jury'.
29
07
MARIE ANN HEDONIA Weaves A Cinematic Web Of Destruction In New Music Video
29
07
“Nothing For Nothing” Marks Dark, Triumphant Return of Dirk Da Davo's Neon Electronics
28
07
27 years Obsolete with Fear Factory!

Concert reviews

22
04
GAVIN FRIDAY
Live at 404 / De Vooruit - Ghent - 01/04.2025
28
11
BELGIAN ELECTROWAVE IS NOT DEAD 3
Belgian ElectroWave Is Not Dead 3

GET A COPY OF OUR MAGAZINE
SEND TO YOUR HOME

INTERVIEWS

29
07
EX-VOTO
“Decisions. In a modern time. Transmissions. From the inner mind.“
21
07
RED LORRY YELLOW LORRY
“Oh who gave us this today. Will see tomorrow fade away.“
18
07
THE RED MOON MACABRE
“The Dance Of Death. Calamity Cold. The Dance Of Death. Living In A Dark World.”
17
07
GHOSTING
“And the shadows float ahead.“
14
07
CRYPTOCHROMA
'I have a profound passion for dystopian, post apocalyptic and scientific themes.'

PHOTOS

23
07
DUCTAPE
Amphi Festival Keulen
23
07
BLOODY DEAD AND SEXY
Amphi Festival Keulen
23
07
SKYND
Amphi Festival Keulen
23
07
ROME
Amphi Festival Keulen
23
07
REIN
Amphi Festival Keulen
23
07
DIE KRUPPS
Amphi Festival Keulen
23
07
HELL BOULEVARD
Amphi Festival Keulen

ADVERTISE
IN PEEK-A-BOO

VIDEO CLIPS

08
08
VARSOVIE
Killing Anna
07
08
AUSTRA
Utopia
06
08
ATARI TEENAGE RIOT
Adrenaline
05
08
MICHAEL ZODOROZNY
14th Street Union Square Station
04
08
PORNO KARAOKE
The Bus (Live)
03
08
ELEKTROKOHLE
Introspective
02
08
CONTRE JOUR
Spiral